1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a horizontal-type filter press having a head that is connected via crossbeams to a member of a support frame, with such member including a closing mechanism. The filter press also includes a filter unit that is disposed between the head and the member of the support frame, is supported on the crossbeams, and comprises filter elements, filter aids, and a movable press cover upon which the closing mechanism acts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Filter presses of the aforementioned general type serve for clarifying filtration, sterilizing filtration, or residue filtration of liquids. Such filter presses are used, for example, in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, the beverage industries, and also have other industrial applications.
In such filter presses, depending upon the filtration that is to be undertaken, filter aids are used that act as depth filters or surface filters. Depth filters are, for example, filter sheets, whereas surface filters include carrier sheets, filter cloths, etc. with carrier sheets being suitable for alluvial filtration and residue filtration. In the filter unit of a filter press, such filtering aids are placed between filter elements, as disclosed in the filter press of German patent No. 28 26 781. By means of a filter press closing mechanism that acts upon the filter unit, the filter aids are brought into the sealed state with the press edges that are disposed at the associated filter elements. Although the sealed state achieved in this manner for the filter unit suffices for a given filtration process, due to the properties of the material of the filter aids such a sealed state is not free of leakage. During the filtration of strong-smelling or toxic liquids, or liquids that contain solvents, leakage that occurs at the filter unit leads to the impairment of the health of operating personnel, and also leads to contamination of the filter unit, which necessitates additional cleaning operations. However, leakages that occur during the filtration of, for example, wine, fruit juices, or other liquids, also cause problems in that such leakage attracts insects or gnats, thus annoying the operators. The aforementioned contamination, which results in the formation of crust, furthermore makes it difficult to open the filter unit following the filtration operation. Such opening of the filter unit is necessary in order to replace used-up filter aids or to remove the filter cakes that are formed on the carrier sheets, filter cloths, etc. To accomplish this, the opened filter unit must be freely accessible.
An object of the present invention is to provide a filter press during the operation of which adverse impacts for the operating personnel caused by leakage at the filter unit are precluded by technical means that assure the free accessibility of an opened filter unit.